Midrange Gaming notebook

shenkty5

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1. What is your budget? <$900, preferably under $800 if possible.

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? Flexible. No larger than 15", would prefer 14" or smaller if possible .

3. What screen resolution do you want? Flexible.

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? Prefer portable. I already have a gaming rig, so this isn't a replacement.

5. How much battery life do you need? Flexible

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)? I would like to have this more as a portable, on the go, notebook that will allow me to play games without getting annoyed/frustrated. Medium setting for games such as WoW: Cataclysm, Starcraft 2, and MW2.

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.) Not much else other than gaming and surfing the internet.

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? Not much. 320gb would be plenty.

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links. I would like to "build" my own if possible, but I've had a difficult time finding sites for doing this. I have looked at Asus, Dell, and HP. I was most recently looking at these 2 choices, but am also looking for suggestions:
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5160-clevo-w150hn-pre-order-p-2999.html?wconfigure=yes
http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-u41jfa1-p-3029.html?wconfigure=yes&change_view=rbm

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? 2-3 years or more.

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ? DVD Rom/Writer

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. I have no preference other than what would be reliable. I have heard good things about Sager on here, as well as some good things about Asus.

13. What country do you live in? US

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed. I'm looking for any advice in terms of websites to look at for finding a decent quality midrange notebook. The primary use will be gaming at medium settings and being able to do so without wanting to throw my laptop through the window. I would also like something that would allow for some upgrading if possible.
 
Solution
Hello shenkty5;

That Sager NP5160 is a great system even when you add in cost of Win7 to the final cost.
But you can find a notebook with gaming performance in the same ballpark for less.

For comparison:
Acer Aspire AS5742G-6480 $600
Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Acer Aspire AS5742G-6600 $700
Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Acer Aspire AS5750G $850
Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 15.6" 4GB RAM 500GB HDD 5400rpm GeForce GT 540M

Or configure the Dell XPS 15 to a similar spec.
Hello shenkty5;

That Sager NP5160 is a great system even when you add in cost of Win7 to the final cost.
But you can find a notebook with gaming performance in the same ballpark for less.

For comparison:
Acer Aspire AS5742G-6480 $600
Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Acer Aspire AS5742G-6600 $700
Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Acer Aspire AS5750G $850
Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 15.6" 4GB RAM 500GB HDD 5400rpm GeForce GT 540M

Or configure the Dell XPS 15 to a similar spec.
 
Solution

shenkty5

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I did notice that the Acer models have 5400rpm HDD. I guess I should've mentioned that I would also prefer a 7200rpm HDD. I guess with newegg I could always get one of those models and just buy a separate 7200HDD for $60 or $70 and still stay under other models.

One question would be the reliability and service for Acer or Dell compared to say Sager or Asus. It did seem that Sager had a decent warranty and I've heard people say good things about them.
 

shenkty5

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Anybody out there who could attest to the reliability of Acer or Dell? Particularly in relation to say Sager or Asus? I would be willing to pay a little more for better reliability or a better warranty.